


At Last

by miceenscene



Series: Harvey & Naomi [3]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Birthday Sex, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Shameless Smut, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:42:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21802357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miceenscene/pseuds/miceenscene
Summary: Harvey and Naomi become more intimate.
Relationships: Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Harvey & Naomi [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549033
Comments: 3
Kudos: 99





	At Last

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I wanted to post this on the 14th, but unfortunately I missed it. Please forgive me. :P Also, this does immediately follow A Long, Long Time. <3, Kaitlyn

Kissing Naomi was Harvey’s new favorite activity. For a while it had been barely beaten out by Finishing a  _ Very Good _ Airplane Model. But as he was standing on a hilltop after a very joyous birthday and kissing her like his life depended upon it, he had to conclude that it was his favorite thing to do. He held her as close as he could with the many layers of coats and jackets and thermals separating them. Slowly, feeling returned to his face as his nerve endings started only registering ‘Naomi Naomi Naomi’ and little else. She tasted like coffee. She smelled like home.

“You know,” Naomi said, clearing her throat a little and pulling back. Her cheeks were delightfully pink. “We don’t have to stay out here in the cold. We both have nice houses we could go back to…”

Harvey paused the pleasant task he’d given himself of caressing her cheek with his own and smiled at her. “Can we go back to Cherry Wine?”

She nodded and slipped her hands into his. “Do you want to drive?”

“Sure.” When he’d first bought his car a few years back, Maru had teased Harvey relentlessly about purchasing--what she called--a ‘grandma car’. But he’d never been so grateful for the front bench seat till he got in and Naomi scooted all the way across to cozy up to him. She slipped an arm behind his back and pressed a kiss to his cheek and Harvey felt like he could fly back to Stardew Valley all by himself, no airplane required.

As Harvey parked in front of her house, Naomi slid out of his grasp, chuckling a little as he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Inside,” she reminded him, getting out of the car and jogging up the front steps. As she unlocked the door, however, Harvey seized the opportunity to sweep her dark hair aside and press a kiss to her neck. She melted back against him for a blissful moment, then the door opened and she grabbed his coat to yank him inside with her.

They crashed into each as the door swung shut behind him, but Harvey caught Naomi before she could fall anywhere. Immediately the kisses resumed, half terrible and half wonderful because they both kept smiling through them. Though only a few seconds later there was a very insistent meowing at their feet.

“Not now, Chicken,” Naomi mumbled, quickly undoing the buttons of Harvey’s coat while she still kissed him. He chuckled as Chicken made its displeasure at being ignored very well known, curving its way between their legs and making an awful lot of ruckus for a cat. She huffed a sigh and then gave Harvey an apologetic look. “Give me a second? Make yourself at home.”

She scooped up the cat, heading for the mud room in the back and grumbling something under her breath to the unrepentant animal. 

Harvey took advantage of the momentary pause to finish taking off his coat and hang it on the coat tree by the door. The aloe vera plant he’d given her was still in its place of honor on the kitchen table, he noted as he placed his shoes on the mat. Running a hand through his hair, he suddenly wondered: did his breath smell? Would it be weird if he put in a mint now? He decided to chance it and popped in a mint from his coat pocket as he sat down on the couch, fingers tapping rapidly on his knees.

A moment later, Noami returned, sans cat and winter coat. “Sorry about that. I forgot to feed him before I left.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” 

She dropped down next to him and sighed happily, a smile crossing her features. “Now where were we?”

“Right here,” he said, cupping her neck and pulling her back towards him to kiss her some more. Though sitting side by side on the couch, he couldn’t be as close to her as he was before. He was making do, but it obviously bothered Naomi as she pulled back after only a minute and then efficiently moved to straddle his lap. For a few seconds, Harvey’s heartbeat thundered in his chest as they were at eye level now and she was  _ very _ close. But she merely ran a few fingers through his hair and rested her arms on his shoulders.

“Is this okay?” she asked, searching his face. He nodded, his hands finding a spot to rest on her waist.

She smiled and then closed the space between them, her lips gliding across his and tongue dipping into his mouth. He was pressed back against the couch as together they closed every gap between them, millimeter by millimeter. But then she paused.

“Did you put in a breath mint?” she whispered, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

He blushed. “Yeah.”

“After we’ve already been kissing for ten minutes?” A giggle was concealed in the question.

“Yeah,” he sighed again.

She kissed his cheek and the arms around his neck squeezed in a hug. “God, you’re sweet,” she breathed, half to herself. 

Her kisses migrated down along his jawline, but when they jumped further south to the top of his collar, his grip at her waist tightened and he had to swallow. Hard. Slowly, she kissed her way back up his neck, making him melt beneath her. Oh my, this was  _ wonderful _ . Her kisses reached up to his ear, and the tip of her tongue traced over the shell. He shivered. Wonderful indee--

“ _ Oh _ .” The word suddenly cut out of him as an unexpected sensation shot down to his core. “Did… did you just bite me?”

She sat back. “Sorry, spur of the moment.” Her fingers traced over the slightly tender spot just below his ear, sending another shiver down his spine. “I-- sorry. It shouldn’t bruise.”

“No, no, it’s fi--” The errant thought of Naomi leaving an actual mark on him flitted through his mind and he had to pause for a moment as he very much liked that idea. Especially when it was joined by the image of him returning the favor. “F-fine,” he finished, weakly.

A smirk tugged at a corner of her mouth. “Harvey.” She said his name so gently, as if it was a very precious thing that could shatter if handled roughly. “If you want something, you can always ask.”

He swallowed, his hands sliding down from her waist to her thighs and then back up to pull her towards him again. Following her pattern, he kissed along her jawline, then down the column of her neck. One of her hands entangled in his hair as she sighed and hummed, obviously enjoying this. When she looked very nearly blissful, Harvey pressed a gentle kiss to her ear.

“May I mark you?” he whispered, making her shiver now. Her hand that had been just resting on his arm, suddenly tightened its grip.

“Yes,” she breathed. Quickly, so he didn’t lose his nerve, he pulled aside the collar of her shirt and placed a few gentle kisses before leaving his mark on her collarbone. She ran her fingers through his hair and chuckled a little. “Can’t remember the last time someone gave me a hickey.”

When he pulled back, there was a small red mark on her skin. It’d bruise soon and be there when he was gone, a souvenir. He smiled a little and then looked up to see her watching him.

“Admiring your work?” she asked in amusement. He nodded once. “Where’d you put--”

“Here.” He kissed the spot, as if to apologize for his permitted transgression. “Where no one will know it’s there but you and me.”

Naomi had piercing dark brown eyes. But as she looked at him, Harvey could swear that he saw them darken further as if her pupils had consumed her irises. Oh. Apparently, she liked that idea as much as he did. Further proof was granted as she kissed him again, all demands and teeth. 

He followed her current, pulling her close and matching her need. He was suddenly ravenous and nothing less than all of her would suffice. Awareness of anything else but her dimmed. The storm of the century could have started outside and all he would be aware of was her warm breath in his lungs, her solid weight in his lap. His hands slid up her waist, till unexpectedly he heard her groan into their kiss and he realized he was cupping one of her breasts.

He hadn’t planned this, he hadn’t given any forethought, it was just instinct. Quickly, however, caution moved to the forefront and an internal alarm sounded--he did not have permission for this.

“Sorry,” he apologized, breaking their kiss and ripping his hands off her. She dragged her eyes open and blinked a few times before focusing on him.

“What for?” she asked, an edge to her voice that made his stomach somersault. Then she straightened up. “Oh.” A quiet bashful chuckle left her, then she paused. “Maybe we should stop apologizing to each other and start figuring out what it is that we both want right now.”

He nodded. “Good idea.”

They just looked at each other for a silent, tense moment then they both chuckled. One of them had to go first, might as well be him.

“I’d--well… for me… I’d… like to keep going,” he said a little hesitantly. 

Surprise bloomed on her face. “Really?”

He leaned forward, a hand cupping her elbow. “I mean, we don’t have--” 

“No-no, Harvey,” she said, resting hands on his shoulders. “I’d… I’d like that too. Just I haven’t…” She uncharacteristically choked over the end of her sentence for a moment. “Shaved.” She winced and glanced away. 

He frowned for a moment in befuddlement before a slight smile cut across his face. Did she not realize the absolute absurdity of the idea that he would reject her for something as natural as body hair? Apparently not, if her expression was anything to go by. “I do not care,” he insisted, squeezing the elbow he still held.

She looked back to him and he was surprised to see something like worry in her eyes. “Well, I-- I haven’t changed my sheets since you were here last and I’m not wearing attractive--”

“It’s okay to say no,” he interrupted before she fell into his usual worry spiral. 

“That’s just it. I--I don’t want to say no. I want this, I do. Just…” She sighed. “It’s just going to be me as I am.” 

He cupped her jaw and kissed her cheek. “I want you, Naomi. All of you, as you are.”

She gave him a gentle smile and leaned forward to hug him. He pressed his face against his neck and held her tight, feeling keenly how much he loved her in that moment. Loved her enough to cross into territory he’d long since assumed he was permanently exiled from.

The tip of her nose trailed over his cheek and she smiled again as she touched her nose to his. He just had to kiss her for that, if he waited another second his heart might burst out of his chest. It was a slower build up to the fever pitch they were at earlier, but no less enjoyable for it. Kisses and touches and soft sighs and quickly Harvey found himself panting again and already half-hard. 

He was kissing her neck--he was so very fond of it--when he was interrupted as she pulled off her shirt, tossing unceremoniously aside. His eyes widened as he took in more of Naomi’s skin than he’d ever seen before. It was warm and smooth under his fingertips and palms.

“I don’t think I’ve told you enough… but you are… breathtaking,” he whispered, looking up at her. 

She smiled a little, pulling the strap of her plain white bra up over her shoulder. “If I’d known you were going to see this, I would have worn something nicer.” 

He chuckled, his palms smoothing up her torso, feeling the slight expansion and retraction of her rib cage with each breath. “This is perfectly wonderful.”

“No, perfectly wonderful is the purple lace number that I have in the bedroom.” She glanced over her shoulder as if she had half a mind to get up and change it out. He brought her attention back to him by pressing a kiss above the soft swell of her breast, over her beating heart. 

“There’s always next time,” he pointed out gently, kissing her bare skin again. With more caution this time, he slid his hand over her breast, squeezing carefully. He placed one more kiss in the center of her chest, then reached behind her to undo the clasp.

Admittedly he was out of practice with this, but the bra came unfastened rather easily, thankfully. He pulled the piece away, and just marveled at her for a moment. Probably due to the increasingly uncomfortable pressure below his waist, but he was having trouble coming up with different words other than ‘breaktaking’.

“Spoke too soon…” He shook his head. “I wish I was better at words, Naomi.” 

She smiled and laughed a little, doing frankly marvelous things to her breasts. “I don’t mind.”

“Thank goodness,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again. He stroked his knuckles over the swell of her breast and she whined in the back of her throat. Goosebumps broke out over her skin as he circled a thumb over the center. When he pressed his hand flat against it, squeezing softly, she broke their kiss off with a whimper, her head dropping to his shoulder.

“You okay?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She nodded. “Don’t stop,” she pleaded in a quiet voice. He smiled and obeyed her wish. Sighs and mewls followed his every caress. But they kicked up in volume as he started kissing down the front of her throat. 

She was draped into his arms, bowed away from him in pleasure as he held her where he wanted her. But as he continued, Harvey noticed a slight tension in her spine, as if she was straining for something that she couldn’t quite reach.

“Relax,” he murmured, running his palm over her bare stomach. She lifted her head and met his gaze. “You’re tense, relax.”

She nodded and once he felt her muscles let go of their strain, he returned to his pleasurable work. A low moan left her as he ran his tongue over the hard peak of her nipple. Oh Yoba, that was a sound he’d happily listen to for the rest of his life. Seeking it again, he focused on her breasts, kissing and licking and sucking. She was putty in his hands and honestly, it was intoxicating to have someone as strong willed as Naomi be so trusting with him.

Though she did sit back up eventually and gave him a searing kiss. “You’re  _ very _ good at that, Dr. Harvey,” she breathed, her lips still brushing his.

He chuckled. But his mirth disappeared as she reached for the top button on his shirt. He didn’t stop her, nor did he really want her to stop either, just-- What was the phrase she’d used earlier?  _ Just going to be me as I am _ . That made two of them.

He knew the neck deep irony he was swimming in as he was decidedly self-conscious when she slipped his shirt off his shoulders. His chest hair hadn’t been trimmed and no amount of dance aerobics or sucking in was going to fix his soft middle. But as she looked at him, then straightened his glasses on his face and combed his hair back into place, any apprehension disappeared. 

“Breathtaking,” she said, her gentle smile taking up residence on her face. Harvey felt like he was sitting in a sunbeam, warm and comforted. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush with him. Her sigh sounded more relieved than anything else, as if a burden had been set down with just their skin contact. He heartily agreed.

There was a fervency to their kisses now, but not an urgency. Everything was novel and wonderful and though it’d be all too easy to rush to the end, Harvey was careful to take his time. This was just their first time, not their only time after all. He’d get as right as he could now, and try for better the next time. Though as Naomi ran her fingers through his chest hair, nails barely scratching his skin, her lips on his neck, and her hips rocking across his, he doubted that she could hardly achieve better for him.

Before she could rush him to the end accidently, he gripped her waist again, nipping the base of her neck. She groaned but stilled.

“Bedroom?” she offered breathlessly.

“Please.”

Both of them were a little shaky as they stood, but she intertwined their fingers as she took his hand and led him to the room next door. It still smelled like honeysuckle and fresh laundry, he noticed as he stepped into her room for the second time.

Harvey slipped his arms around Naomi, peppering her shoulders and upper back with the kisses he should have given her on his first visit. Not that he would have been bold enough to try anything back then. In fact he was a little surprised in himself that he wasn’t near as nervous as he’d expected himself to be. Perhaps it was the run off from the adrenaline earlier in the day. Or perhaps it was just because of Naomi.

He followed her to the edge of the bed as she turned in his arms to kiss him again. Carefully, he tilted her back onto the bed, kissing her still. She tried to pull him down with her, but he pulled back. An eager smile spread across her face as he reached for the button on her jeans. Though he paused as he glanced up at her again.

Naomi was laying back, head resting on her arms. The final light of the early evening sunset filtered in through the window, bathing her in a golden glow. Breathtaking wasn’t a large or magnificent enough of a word, he thought, turning back to the button. He slipped them down her legs and then finally crawled up into bed with her, laying down at her side.

“May I touch you?” he asked, fingers idly tracing across her stomach.

“ _ God _ , yes,” she sighed, sounding very impatient. “Please.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek. Her eagerness was certainly a confidence boost, enough that he was definitely going to do this right. And by right, he meant take his ever loving, sweet sweet time with this. He slipped an arm behind her shoulders to hold her close as he let his hand smooth down her stomach. But as his fingers reached her white cotton underwear, he skipped to her knee and slowly started making his way up.

Naomi caught on to his plan quickly and was obviously both frustrated and tantalized by the glacial pace. It would all be worth it, if she would just stop squirming. 

“Harvey, ple--” Her plea ended in a gasp as he let his fingers graze across her center. Her face screwed up and her back bowed to elongate the contact. She was so tense again, clenching and reaching.

“Naomi, relax,” he whispered, kissing her temple. “I’ll take care of you, I promise. Just trust me.”

Her eyes cracked open and she looked at him for a second before nodding. “I know. I… I trust you.” She let out a breath and he felt her muscles relax. Perhaps he was moving too slow for her, he could adjust for that.

So he ran his fingers across her center again, sweeping back and forth just over the dampened fabric. But it was enough to make her gasp and shudder. Carefully, he slipped his hand beneath her underwear and just pressed his hand up to her center. She was soaking. Oh, he’d hardly received better compliments in his entire life than the one she was wordlessly giving him right now. And few things were more effective for him personally. In fact he had to take a moment and suck in a steadying breath.

She took advantage of his pause, tilting her hips to rock against his hand. He had half a mind to just let her continue, but he had a better plan. So he pulled her close and focused on making her completely unravel. Every sound, every twitch of her muscles was a roadmap to her completion. Someday he’d know the entire lay of the land, know which were the most efficient paths and which were the scenic routes. He’d always gotten a great deal of enjoyment out of making sure his partners were completely satisfied and then some. He wanted the same for her.

Though as Naomi approached her peak, a new thought came to his mind. An even better plan. He stilled his hand, making her groan and press her forehead against his chest. She looked up at him, obviously worried, as he started to pull away from her. But he just pressed a kiss to her hip and she seemed to understand his intent.

He knelt between her knees and looked up at her. “May I?” he asked. She bit her lip and nodded rapidly.

Heart thundering with anticipation, he tucked a pillow under her hips and pulled her last bit of clothing off. He kissed the other hip as he settled into a comfortable position. She hardly seemed to be breathing as she looked down at him. So he reached a hand up, cupping her cheek for a moment. She kissed his palm and then clutched it to her chest. Her heart was beating as quickly as his was.

Maintaining his earlier strategies, he waded in slowly. Moving from kisses to caresses, up her thighs, down her hips, warming her up and figuring out what worked best for her. Quickly, she was molten under his tongue. Long, wordless moans were falling out of her that made him immensely glad they’d come back to the farm rather than to his apartment as he’d be damned before he made her quiet down. After only a few minutes, he could feel a tension in her again, but it was different this time. It wasn’t strain, it was potential. The wind up before the release. He doubled-down, urging her to the precipice.

“Oh,” she said simply, as if taken by surprise.

Then she fell over the edge. He slipped up to lay next to her again, maintaining and elongating her peak with his fingers. Entranced, he watched her shudder and gasp and then fall back on the bed, boneless and glistening. What a sight to behold. As her breathing returned to normal, he just held her, a hand absent-mindedly stroking through her hair.

“That was…” she started, before taking in a slow breath. “ _ Amazing. _ ” Her voice was relaxed, almost sleepy. Sated, hopefully.

He kissed her forehead. “I’m glad.” 

She took another breath and shook her head. “I had… hopes, fantasies. But that just blew them all out of the water.” 

“You had fantasies about me?” 

She nodded, and admittedly that did make him flush even despite their current circumstances.

“About this, about all this.” She surveyed him for a moment. “I’d just watch you do simple acts and god… Seeing you cook in my kitchen that first time was  _ very _ attractive.” 

Now that he could understand. “I once saw you fell a tree in six swings and I think it was the most deeply erotic thing I’ve ever seen.”

She laughed and kissed him softly, a hand caressing his jaw. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“My pleasure.”

Her smile slipped sideways. “Not entirely…” Her hand slipped down to rest on his hip and his pulse ratcheted up a few notches. “May I?”

Oh, here were the nerves he’d been expecting. They’d just been waiting for the opportune moment apparently. He choked them back and nodded.

But she paused and her hand moved back up to his arm. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. 

He sighed. Of course she spotted his apprehension. “Yes.”

She frowned and didn’t move a muscle. And of course she wouldn’t just take his answer at face value either. 

“I… I know it’s… I just…” He wobbled through a few ends to his sentence before deciding to just go for the honest and ugly truth. “I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you.” 

“Harvey. Did you miss the past fifteen minutes?” she asked with a slight smile.

“It’s different. I know I can… satisfy you. But… getting in the water myself is different. Somehow.”

She rubbed his arm. “We can stop here. If this is your comfort zone, that’s fine.”

“To quote you from earlier, that’s just it.” He wanted this, even beyond the physical desire. He craved the… intimacy with her. Even if he was scared of having it at the same time. 

She turned his face to look at her again. “Do you trust me?” she asked. He nodded. Her hand drifted up to card through his hair. “Someday I hope you’ll understand this intrinsically, but until then trust that I’m not lying when I say that I’m  _ very _ attracted to you in just about every way a person can be. And that I think you’re pretty handsome to boot.”

Appreciation and heat and something else that he couldn’t even name washed through him. Some fear lingered, but it was rendered small and pitiful in the wake of her assurance. He cupped her cheek and kissed her once more. Then he took her hand and placed it back on his hip.

“Please?” he breathed.

She smiled and pressed her forehead to his, letting her hand drift down and trace over the front of his very taught pants. His eyes closed and he shivered. Ohhh, this was good. She kept a steady straightforward pattern, easy to predict but comforting because he could. After a few minutes had passed, after his apprehension had been completely burned away, she sat up and started unbuttoning his pants.

But as she got the zipper down, she paused and looked back at him.

“Are you wearing thermals under your pants?” she asked, amusement and confusion making her words bounce slightly.

“You told me to dress warmly,” he justified. The picnic and the airplane ride this afternoon seemed like a million years ago now.

“Aren’t you hot?”

He hadn’t really noticed till she said something. But now… “There were other more pressing matters at hand.” 

Smiling a little, she finished the process, slipping the pants and the thermals away. A chill washed over his slightly damp skin as it was exposed to the air, sending goosebumps across his skin and a shiver up his spine. 

He felt her hand smooth across the front of his boxer briefs and he couldn’t stop the deep groan that left him. He’d been mistaken earlier.  _ This _ was  _ good _ . As her hand lifted away, he opened his eyes just in time to watch her run her palms up his thighs and then lean down to press a kiss just below his navel. Her hair pooled across his stomach and hips and--dear sweet Yoba.

“Please,” he said, his chest heaving. There was a  _ need _ in his voice that hadn’t been there only minutes ago. How did she do that so easily? “ _ Naomi _ , please.”

She nodded once and then removed the final barrier. He sighed in relief to be finally freed, dimly noting that Naomi had crawled back up on the bed and laid down next to him. When he opened his eyes to look at her, she reached for him. Instinctually, they intertwined with each other and remained that way for several minutes. It was deeply intimate to just be with her like this, and he’d hardly felt anything so wonderful in his life.

“So…” Naomi broke the silence, her voice low and inviting. “Since it’s still your birthday, how do you want to do this?”

He really wanted to be able to see her face. So he turned them till she was on her back and he was holding himself over top of her. Without trying, he accidentally brushed against her soaking center and they both moaned.

But then he suddenly remembered something. Panic shot down his spine. “Wait--do you have a condom?” How could he forget that?? He was a doctor for Christ’s sake. He had some back at the clinic, but that was so far and they were already here--

“Harvey.” She turned his chin to look at her. “I have an IUD, hon, you know that.”

He blinked twice. “Right.” 

She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose, laughing a little. After a moment, he had to laugh himself. 

“You looked panicked there for a second,” she said, still chuckling.

“I  _ was _ panicked there for a second. Wasn’t looking forward to possibly walking back to town like this.” He eased down onto his elbows, increasing the skin contact between them. A very contented sounding hum left her.

“Yeah, without your thermal underwear you’d freeze before you reached the bus stop.”

That made him laugh again as she grinned up at him. For a moment they looked at each other, amusement and camaraderie percolating between them. Then, nearly imperceptibly, the balance in the air shifted. Was it a twitch in her eyebrows or the set of her mouth? Either way, all of a sudden he was aware of the momentous step they were about to take. Not in fear, something more like awe or determination perhaps. He cupped the back of her head and memorized the look in her eyes. He knew he’d want to remember it for a very long time.

“I want you… all of you,” she said in a voice barely audible, but it reverberated to his core.

Carefully, he guided himself to her entrance and then steadily sunk into her.  _ Oh dear glorious Yoba above. _ A long breath left her, as if she’d been holding it the entire time, and she clung to his shoulders. Once he was pressed fully into her, he paused. She was so much. Warm and silky and welcoming and all-encompassing and… and…  _ breathtaking _ . Words were near impossible beyond the very steady chant of her name that beat in the back of his mind.

But once he was able to put his two feet back on the metaphorical ground, he opened his eyes to check on her. The tension was back, stronger than before. Her face was grooved in concentration, her head tilted back, her jaw clenched.

“Naomi, love,” he breathed, running a hand down her side. 

Her eyes opened and she seemed to catch up with herself, disappointment flashing across her face. Some of the strain released from her core. Wanting more for her, he kissed the skin behind her jaw, below her ear, before nibbling up the shell. She sighed and relaxed even more.

“Sorry,” she whispered, taking a very purposeful breath.

“That’s my line,” he whispered back, making her smile. “Are you okay?”

She responded by purposefully tightening her inner muscles around him, sending stars shooting up to his scalp.

“Oh, dear Yoba,” he murmured, dropping his head to her shoulder. He felt more than heard her chuckle. 

Cautiously he started an unhurried rhythm and she followed him. From this angle he could watch the pleasure wash over her and kiss her whenever it became too much to bear. Her hands wandered over his back, up into his hair, caressing and encouraging. He wanted to remember everything about this; the feel of her around him, under him; the way the light of the sunset caught in her hair, highlighting copper and silver strands; how gently she kissed him and held him close as if she never wanted to let go.

With his end in sight, he shifted to reach between them and circle a finger over her clit. She gasped and arched against him.

“H-harvey,” she moaned in a broken voice.

“Naomi,” he answered, his teeth gritted to hold on for just a little longer.

“I-- I--” She shattered with a crumpled version of his name on her lips, pulling him over the edge with her into utter bliss. Naomi… Naomi… Naomi. 

Harvey had heard the term ‘afterglow’ before, but rarely had he ever experienced it so literally. The world felt shimmery and incandescent. He was careful not to collapse on top of her, landing just to the side as his arms finally gave up the ghost. They both panted for a moment. He glanced over to find Naomi’s eyes still closed, chest rising up and down with slowing breaths, small beads of sweat dotted along her hairline. A smile crossed his face as he was certain he’d never seen her look so euphoric.

Before he settled in to properly enjoy the afterglow with her, he wanted to help her clean up a bit. So he pressed a kiss to her forehead and slipped away to the bathroom. When he’d stayed over the first time, he’d accidentally discovered the linen cupboard--ah, here it was. He snagged a washcloth and returned to the bedroom.

Naomi was curled up on her side, facing away from him as he slid back into bed behind her. She started a little as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed against her back.

“Just me,” he whispered, as anything louder felt nearly sacrilegious at the moment. “Can I clean you up?”

She nodded and melted back into his arms till he was finished and had tossed the washcloth aside. Then he pulled her into his arms properly, tucking her face against his chest, intertwining again as he held her. A few of his fingers ran through her hair as his cheek rested on top of her hair. This was utterly sublime. It’d been years since he’d felt this blissful, this… happy.

It was her, of course it was. She’d breathed life into his world from the moment they met. Even when it wasn’t grand gestures like today, even when it was just her stopping by to say hello, the sun shone brighter for it. If he didn’t already feel it as certain as his heartbeat, he’d know now that he was completely in love with her. They’d crossed a lot of important milestones today… would it be so bad to cross one more?

“Naomi,” he said, quietly. His hand cupped her chin and turned her face up to look at him--and the bliss shattered. 

Her cheeks were wet and her eyes were tinged red. She was crying. She’d  _ been _ crying and apparently hiding it from him.

“I’m sorry--” she started, trying to draw back but his arm had locked around her in shock and horror.

“D-did I--” 

“ _ No _ .” She cupped his cheek. “Sorry. God, I’m sorry--th-this happens to me. You were wonderful, this was wonderful. Just… I tear up sometimes. Afterwards.” She blinked forcibly a few times as the edge was taken off his dismay. “I was worried this might happen--I should have told… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He pulled her back against him again, pressing his face into the top of her head. Crying after sex happened to some people, hormones and emotions running strong… and she wouldn’t lie if she was unhappy, that he was certain of. “Are you  _ sure _ you’re okay?”

“I’m so good, Harvey. I promise.” She ran a hand across his back. “It doesn’t happen every time, I promise.”

“Even if it does…” He leaned back enough to see her face. “Just please,  _ please _ , don’t hide it from me.”

She looked up at him and her chin started wobbling now. “ _ Dammit _ .” Her hand came up and rubbed harshly at one of her eyes, but he moved it away to gently wipe a tear that had escaped and rolled down her cheek. Which only succeeded in making her tear up more.

She sighed and let her eyes close, her breath now unsteady in her chest. “Harvey, I’m sorry. This was so good and I’m  _ ruining it _ .”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.” She sighed and shook her head. “I just thought I was past more of this…”

Ooh boy,  _ that _ he could definitely understand. He pulled her back into his arms, just held her for a few minutes, letting her find her balance again. When she was calm once more, he offered, “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. But I’m here and I can listen, if you want.”

She didn’t reply at first, several minutes passed in stillness. Then she took in a very long breath and finally spoke in a low, steady voice.

“My last boyfriend… wasn’t a good person.” Harvey’s stomach dropped and reactively, his arms tightened around her. “He was very closed off and… selfish. Whenever we… were together it was like…” She paused for a long moment. “Like I was a toy, or a tool. If I wanted any sort of enjoyment, I had to strain for it. And then when he was finished, he’d just… get up and leave. Probably didn’t want to watch me cry.”

A thought occurred to Harvey, horror shooting down his spine anew. “The washcloth.”

She looked up and cupped his cheek. “You didn’t know.”

“ _ Naomi _ ,” he sighed, dropping his forehead to rest against hers. “I’m so sorry.”

“It was an accident.” She kissed him quickly. “It’s fine. You’re here now. And you were only being thoughtful.” She tucked her head back into the crook of his neck. “I have some bad habits from him… but I’m working on them and today helped. Really. I just need some time and patience.”

“Of course,” he said, turning his face to brush his cheek against hers. “You don’t even have to ask… especially considering how patient you’ve been with me…” He paused--he certainly hadn’t been planning on talking about this tonight, but since they were already here…

Harvey took a deep breath. “Has anyone told you about Mona?” he asked.

She looked up at him. “I know there’s a headstone in the cemetery with that name… but otherwise, no.”

He nodded once. “Mona… was my fiancée. We met when I was in med school back in Zuzu and she was from Pelican Town. We got engaged during my residency and I made plans to take over the clinic here because she wanted to move back home. But before we could… she died. Car accident.”

“How long ago was this?” she asked quietly.

“It’ll be six years in the spring.” He paused. It’d been several years since he’d had to tell anyone the whole story. He didn’t choke up, like he’d half expected himself to, but the usual weight settled in his stomach.

“After she died, I… didn’t know what to do with myself. Scraped through the rest of my residency and I just stuck with the plan. I’d like to say it was out of some sort of… living memorial. But really I think it was easier to keep myself detached from other people under the guise of them being my patients. To bury myself in the shell of a life we should have shared rather than to try and build something new.”

She cupped his cheek and he leaned into the touch.

“All that to say… if anyone is going to understand having baggage, it’s me,” he finished with a heavy sigh. “And I certainly won’t fault you for it.”

She looked at him for a long moment, understanding and empathy in her eyes. “Thank you for telling me.”

“You too.”

She sighed. “Guess we’re both bruised, huh?”

He nodded, feeling strangely comforted that he wasn’t the only one who carried scars. She cuddled up to him again, and they were quiet for a long while. The euphoric feeling from earlier was gone, but what remained was just as good--an understanding. A deeper intimacy beyond just the physical. It’d been a long time since he’d had anything like it. Harvey had forgotten how reassuring it felt to be Known and still accepted.

His eyes drifted shut as they remained intertwined, no sound but the other’s breath. After a while, he found himself nearly nodding off.

“I’m exhausted,” he muttered, rubbing a few fingers under his glasses.

“Well, today was a big day,” Naomi pointed out.

“True.” He smiled slightly. “Achieved my lifelong dream… of sleeping with Naomi Wynn.”

That made her laugh once, bright and unexpected. “You’ve already done that before, remember?”

“Oh right. Well…” He looked down at her and felt his cheeks heat up a little. “Making love with Naomi Wynn, then.”

She gave him his favorite gentle smile of hers, her face warm and… and loving, he realized breathlessly. 

“Did you have a good birthday?”

He nodded. “The best.”

“Stay here tonight then?”

“Please.”


End file.
